Jellied Consomme

Jellied consomme is one of those genuinely elegant retro starters that deserves a comeback. Beef broth simmers briefly with onion, green pepper, parsley, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then gets strained clear. A packet of unflavored gelatin bloomed in dry sherry and water folds in, the whole thing chills, and you have a shimmering, savory jelly that’s served cold in demitasse cups or small bowls.

The topping is the showstopper: whipped cream whisked with a pinch of curry powder, spooned on top of each serving. The cool, lightly curried cream against the savory, faintly sherry-scented jelly is a surprise of a flavor combination, and it’s the move that takes this dish from dated to dinner-party impressive.

This is a hot-weather appetizer from another era, meant to be eaten with a small spoon that breaks through the barely-set jelly and scoops a little of everything.

Kitchen Tips

• Use good beef stock, not stock cubes. This dish has nowhere for off-flavors to hide, so the quality of the broth is everything.
• Simmer the broth uncovered to reduce it slightly to 3 to 3½ cups. Over-reduction and the jelly sets too firm; under and it stays soupy.
• Bloom the gelatin in the cold sherry-water mixture for 5 full minutes before heating. Unbloomed gelatin leaves stringy lumps in the finished consomme.
• Strain the cooked broth through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter for crystal-clear jelly. Cloudy stock makes murky jelly.
• Chill 4 hours minimum, ideally overnight. The gelatin set firms slowly; serving too soon gives you a soupy jelly.

Variations

• Swap dry sherry for Madeira or port for a different aromatic finish.
• Garnish with fresh chives, a dollop of sour cream, or caviar instead of curried whipped cream.
• Use a rich chicken stock in place of beef for a lighter, more golden consomme.